Research

Faculty of Education of Palacký University is involved in various traditional as well as novel areas of science and research that are in compliance with the focus of work of individual departments which stems from their personnel and facility background. The Faculty has been involved in projects granted by prestigious grant agencies or institutions such as the Czech Science Foundation, the National Research and Development Policy of the Czech Republic, and the Higher Education Development Fund. Further, it is involved in development programmes of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, the Ministry of the Environment, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. There are also projects submitted to the Grant Agency of the Academy of Sciences. However, the members of the academic staff of the Faculty do not submit their work only to these scientific and research institutions and agencies, but they also provide their expertise and reviews, and are members of professional committees and advisory boards. Among the activities regarding the involvement of the Faculty in various projects is the Faculty’s participation in projects funded by the European Social Fund in the operational programmes of Human Resources Development, Education for Competitiveness, Research and Development for Innovations, and Environment, along with projects supported by grants from the Olomouc region and the City of Olomouc. The projects aim at the innovation of scientific base of the Faculty in terms of technical, economical, organizational, material and content aspects of research. All of these in compliance with the Faculty’s key priorities that emphasize students’ and graduates’ competitiveness in labour market and their ability to succeed in international environments. Another outcome of the involvement in the EU projects is the improvement of conditions for academic staff, which allows the faculty members to engage in research projects that not only bring additional resources other than state subsidy, but also result in publications and deepen international cooperation. The Faculty’s grant and project activities are found in a wide range of disciplines from humanities, social sciences, arts, to natural sciences, technical and information disciplines. The school has been moreover involved in a number of projects (including international ones) that address the issues of people with special needs (handicapped people, people with learning difficulties, with communication disorders, and gifted people). The projects frequently focus on the enhancement of quality in education, implementation of new teaching methods using multimedia and ICT technologies at different school levels. Other projects seek to solve the issues of the development of learning competencies, problem-solving competencies, and communication competencies in association with negative socio-pathological phenomena. Further, the Faculty carries out international research in biology examining evolutionary changes in the evolution of animals, in ecology and in demographics of the region. Projects in the art fields and methodology have been equally important. Due to its research results, the Faculty has been among the top schools of education in the Czech Republic.

Research and development at the Faculty of Education concentrates on traditional as well as newly monitored areas of research. Research and development activities are permanently implemented in compliance with the Long-term plan for educational, scientific, research, developmental, artistic and other creative activities of the Faculty of Education UP in Olomouc (PdF), which was accepted by the Academic Senate of PdF for the period 2011-2015.

The faculty sees excellence in solving the research issues especially in emphasis on the prestige of the Czech Science Foundation projects, not only in the traditional area of exploring pedagogical sciences but also in the area of educating pupils with special education needs, or the quality of life of families taking care of persons with medical impairments, teacher’s professional identity in citizenship education, historical and philosophical subjects, and to a large extent also in the area of art and science, or on the contrary in the area of natural science, including the element of biology and environment, always with an overlap to international comparison. 

The faculty provides secondary support for research activities by more than successful participation in solving Universities Development Fund projects, which together with the more extensive and financially demanding ESF projects, formed a significantly positive material, organizational, personnel and technological potential for innovating many courses, fields or evaluation activities of the faculty, including impact on the area of lifelong education. In this respect, the faculty strongly accentuates implementing ICT competencies and improving the quality of language education (including creating conditions for teaching in foreign languages) in the initial and post-gradual forms of study, as well as verifying their efficiency. Project and research activities significantly involve the faculty institutional partners, not only from the area of education but also from healthcare, social services and other fields. In 2010, 21 projects (out of which in 2 projects PdF was the partner) were implemented at the faculty and co-financed from ESF, in particular from the Operational Programme (OP) Education for Competitiveness. In 2011, 26 projects (out of which in 2 projects PdF is the partner) are being implemented at the faculty and co-financed from ESF, in particular from the Operational Programme (OP) Education for Competitiveness. Projects are implemented in cooperation (or possibly in partnership) with primary and secondary schools, on the level of Olomouc region and with its support. Furthermore, the Faculty of Education deals with projects from OP Environment (the project is implemented by Palacky University in the area of energy savings) and from OP Human Resources and Employment (the project is implemented in cooperation with the Faculty of Natural Sciences Palacky University and focuses on building a kindergarten for employees of both faculties).

Resources for 2009 amounted to: resources from Universities Development Funds – CZK 2,839,643 Czech Science Foundation – CZK 4,546,000.

Resources for 2010 for projects in total, and out of which the number of research projects (CEP), Universities Development Fund: Resources IGA (specific research of students) – CZK 2,839,643,000, Universities Development Fund – CZK 5,728,000, Czech Science Foundation – CZK 4,495,000.

Resources for 2011 for projects in total, and out of which the number of research projects (CEP), Universities Development Fund: Resources IGA (specific research of students) - CZK 2,691,000, Universities Development Fund – CZK 2,540,000, Czech Science Foundation – CZK 1,631,000.

In the period between 2009 and 2011, over CZK 164 million were acquired as part of the OP Education for Competitiveness and these funds will be gradually drawn until 2013.

The long-term efforts of the faculty towards providing a dignified and an inspiring environment for education, science and research in connection with the training of future teachers and other experts on education fulfil the current project for Research and Educational Centre for the Faculty of Education Palacky University in Olomouc (reg. number CZ.1.05/4.1.00/04.0150). The project under appeal 1.4 Infrastructure for Teaching at Universities Associated with Research from the Operational Programme Research and Development for Innovation acquired a grant amounting to CZK 299,776,952, while the European Union contribution amounts to CZK 254,810,409.20 and the contribution from the Czech Republic’s state budget amounts to CZK 44,966,542.80. The aim of this project, the implementation of which commenced on 01 May 2011, and it is expected to be completed by 31 December 2013, is the creation of a new wing of the building of the Faculty of Education UP, in the courtyard of the main building at Žizkovo náměstí, encompassing a total area of 5,304 m2. Out of this an area 1,506 m2 is designated for domains associated with tertiary education and 568 m2 is stipulated for research and teaching laboratories.